Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia Honors Four (4) of its Members:

On a clear fall evening, when the colorful and scenic foliage on the grounds of the Torresdale-Frankford Country Club was surpassed only by the beautiful variety of gowns, dresses, suits and tuxedos found inside, the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia once again hosted their Annual Polonaise Ball and Awards Banquet. Four of the Societys members were honored for their outstanding dedication and contributions to the cultural development of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia during an evening that featured dinner, dancing, and cultural displays.

The Honorable Joseph L. Zazyczny served as the emcee for the evening. Awards were presented to Marie Hejnosz, Current President of Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia and Director of the Adam Styka Art Exhibit; Teresa N. Wojick, Past President of the Polish Heritage Society of Philadelphia and current Corresponding Secretary; Stephen Medvec, PH.D, Scholarship Chairperson; and Peter Obst, Board Member and Coordinator of Historical Markers.

As honorees, members and guests arrived they were greeted with delicious hors douvres and cocktails served in the country clubs reception room, adjacent to the main ballroom, that was aglow with the warmth of the rooms lit fire place. Background music during the cocktail hour provided by the Dennis Ostopowicz Band added to the joyful sound of conversation between guests and congratulations being offered to the evenings honorees.

When the time for dinner came guests entered the main ballroom to find their assigned places amid decorations designed to reflect our Polish heritage. All of the tables were decorated with beautiful, hand-arranged floral pieces that prominently featured red and white flowers. Each table was also identified with the image, name and coat of arms of a different city in Poland, so that guests could spend the evening in, among others, the cities of Krakow, Warszawa, Lublin, and Torun.

In addition to decorations that displayed our rich cultural heritage, during the course of the evening the PKM Dance Group of Philadelphia entertained everyone with traditional dances from the various regions of Poland. The bright and colorful costumes of the dancers coupled with well choreographed movements added quite nicely to the evenings festivities and the delight of the balls guests. A particular high point came when PKM dancers lead the honorees and guest participants in a rendition of the Polonaise. The number of guests who participated was so great that the dance flowed beyond the ballrooms dance floor and moved to seemingly encircle and embrace the whole gathering.

In addition to the events already mentioned, a delicious three course dinner was served, and the honorees were presented with their awards and offered inspiring words of acceptance and gratitude. After the awards ceremony everyone continued dancing to the music of the Dennis Ostopowicz Band, and a 50/50 raffle was held along with door prizes that were awarded to the lucky guests who held the winning tickets. All proceeds from the evening go to support the Societys scholarship program. The co-chairs of the Polonaise Ball, Felicia Malinowski and Irene Musman, as well as the members of their Committee need to be commended for making this a wonderful and memorable evening for all who participated.